The Wasteland Reviewer

Greenland 2: Migration (2026) Written Review

What happens next when you have escaped a killer comet and shacked up in a bunker with your family? Greenland was such a wonderful surprise during the hellscape that was 2020 and it garnered enough excitement to see where director Ric Roman Waugh might take the Garrity family next.  A lot has changed over the last five years inside the world of Greenland. There are remnants of the comet in orbit of Earth that come down with continued destruction. Radiation storms and fissures continue to destroy so many people. But like the bunker in Greenland of the first film…there is a special place encouraging hope amongst the remnants of humanity. There is a crater in Southern Europe that just might be the new cradle of life. When the Garrity’s must flee from the safety of their bunker, they must make the perilous journey for the sake of hope. 

Does Waugh bring the goods against this disaster movie sequel? Bringing this to the big screen, you need to make sure that the special effects are up to snuff. There are certainly moments with iffy effects (especially related to water, including a giant tsunami) but otherwise, this looks decent for a midsized blockbuster. The film does have a grim and dour look to it (plenty of greys everywhere) but it does match the horrific nature of the planet in this film. A lot of the other technical elements (score, editing, cinematography) are solid but nothing to necessarily write home about. The pacing of the film is a tad uneven as Waugh attempts to balance the thrills of the film with the deeper human moments of the experience. At less than 100 minutes, this film does unfortunately feel a bit long in the tooth. There is not much levity to be had but they do find a few charming moments involving the Garrity family and a few powerful emotional moments that anchor the audience in for this disaster story. 

Does the script by Chris Sparling and Mitchell LaFortune meet the expectations of the last film? Where Greenland is a film elevated by its effect writing, Greenland 2: Migration crumbles under some subpar writing. First off, the dialogue is blunt, clunky, and uninteresting for most of the film. Some of the characters (especially the teenage Garrity) are crippled by this and become incredibly flawed. The film does have some good moments between John (Gerard Butler) and Allison (Morena Baccarin). John’s arc in the film is quite tragic and does deepen the connection the audience feels with this journey. The film does a solid job in finding humanity in the shadow of the world, but the darker side of humanity is handled in an overly simplistic manner (making it a lot less interesting). The quieter moments have charm, but the disaster movie moments become telegraphed. The film loses some bite because it feels like this world is specifically targeting this family (which is ridiculous) and their plot armor becomes more unbelievable as the film goes on. Some of the key supporting characters get unceremoniously discarded in ways that lack impact. There is enough heart in the film to connect with, but this outing is much more flawed than the first. 

Does the cast save some of this undercooked writing? Butler continues to be the glue that holds the film together with his everyman charm, burly demeanor, and some good emotional foundation. Baccarin is a real shining light as she brings a strength and plenty of emotion to the proceedings. One of the most frustrating elements of the film is their son. Not only is this character so poorly written, but Roman Griffin Davis (of Jojo Rabbit fame) is underwhelming. His accent is inauthentic and he just lacks the emotion needed or presence to make his character stand out. There are a few supporting performers who stand out like Amber Rose Revah (one of the scientists from the bunker who escapes with them), Sophie Thompson (the endearing friend to the family in London) and William Abadie (a Frenchman who helps the family while making a tearjerking sacrifice). 

Does Migration make for a worthwhile follow up to Greenland? This film is solid at best when it leans into its strong leads (Butler and Baccarin) and the emotion of the situation. The disaster movie thrills are too inconsistent but overall, still deliver. There are some glaring weaknesses in the acting and (especially) in the writing areas that bring this film down. This is not a wonderful surprise like its predecessor, but it is a bit of a disappointment instead.